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Word Rogues |
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On English and Writing: Leon Lanzbom |
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  fall 2009 ENGLISH 580 21182 The Writing of Poetry instructor: Leon Lanzbom email: lanzbom@gmail.com class time: W: 4:00-6:40 PM class room: SH 245
  And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. ~Sylvia Plath ASSIGNMENTS: 
Grading of assignments: Four poems 33% ( 33 pts.) Participation 33% (33 pts) Journals 33% (33 pts.) One free HAPPY-G0-LUCKY Point 1% (1 pt) (Percentages are approximations) 100.0% = 100 pts.  BooksIn the Palm of Your Hand, Steve Kowit Triggering Town, Richard Hugo 250 Poems, Schakel The Book of Luminous Things, Milosz Poetry packets to be handed out at various times Dropping/Adding It is ultimately the student's responsibility to drop all classes in which he/she is no longer attending. DO NOT EXPECT ME TO DROP YOU IF YOU
STOP SHOWING UP TO CLASS. Check your schedule in the WebPortal
to make sure you are enrolled in the right classes before the adjustment deadlines. You have two separate deadlines for
adding and dropping classes. The last day to drop classes is now the
10th day of the semester at 6 p.m., and the last day to add is the 12th
day of the semester at 6 p.m.
The schedule adjustment deadlines for fall 2009: Drop classes by September 14 at 6 p.m. Add classes by September 16 at 6 p.m. Change grading basis by September 16 at 6 p.m. Withdraw from the university by September 16 at 6 p.m. I have the option to drop you from my course for non-attendance or lack of required prerequisites. The fall 2009 faculty drop deadline is September 9 at 6 p.m. Dropping and adding of classes must be done through your WebPortal account.Attendance:
The whole point of this class is to work together, creating an intellectual sum greater than its parts. If you miss class, you are taking away a vital part of the class mechanism, you. As such, miss no more than two classes (2) during the semester; note that you are responsible for any work which you miss or assignments you elect to "bail on." One last unpleasant matter: if you miss more than two sessions, you will be dropped one letter grade. For example: If you have an A- and 3 absences you will receive a B+. This is not negotiable. If you believe you have an extreme circumstance, please see me.
Attitude: When you walk into class each day on time, you will have read all that has been assigned to you for that day. There are no excuses for missed preparation as reading assignments for a given day are clearly stated in this syllabus. This may strike you as a bit harsh but the rule is quite simple: If you do not prepare the readings, you are not welcome in class. Why? Because this seminar depends upon the contributions of its participants--without your input, the class is likely to evolve into a boring, three-hour waste of life.
Late Work: Since this is mostly a workshop, I do not accept late assignments. Assignments are due when they are due. If you believe you have a legitimate reason for missing a due date, see me or write me, before the work is due. No in-class writing assignments may be made up without prior arrangements made with me. You must submit
all assigned work in order to pass this course, regardless of
your total
points earned for the course.  There are lines which are just intended as a sort of graphic image of something, and which are not obscure by nature or because I couldn't find a better solution, but because I wanted to make them less comprehensible in order to describe a certain difficulty. ~Miroslav Holub
 English 580: fall 2009: Daily Menu My goal is to keep you excited and enthusiastic about our work, and, if I'm lucky, help you fall in love with poetry (If you aren't already). Considering this class relies on dynamics, our syllabus may be subject to change, depending on how many hazy eyes I notice. Any changes will not only be announced in class, but will also be placed on this website, so please use your hard-copy syllabus as a base, but check our website daily. Rule numero uno: You must come into class prepared with your poems and ready to discuss the readings assigned for that day. In other words, whatever is listed under 9/22 should be read for our class meeting on 9/22. The entire class experience depends on your being prepared.
Week 01 Sept 2
Bring in poetry next week. I am going to assign our groups by Saturday 9/4. Start your journals: 2 parts: 1. reader response to all readings, and 2. Your favorite lines of poems we read. ________________________ Week 02 Sept 9 The Triggering Town ch 1&2 In the Palm of Your hand ch 1&2 I still have not been assigned a Black Board spot. I'm hoping that by Tuesday, 9/8 we have one. We can then, officially, begin our workshops by next week. Whole-class Workshop: If possible group 1 should bring in their poems with 20 copies. We will review and workshop these in class. Group 2 brings in their poems with 20 copies for NEXT week. Read and be ready to discuss Steve Kowit's "The Mystique of the Difficult Poem"
The Triggering Town ch3 &4 In the Palm of Your hand ch 3&4 Poem Packet #1 Click SEED PACKETS > Group 1 poetry review Week 04 Sept 23
Group 2: Read poems (get each group's poems from our Blackboard page: Click SDSU link above)
The Triggering Town chs 5 & 6 In the Palm of Your hand ch 3&4 Bring in A Book of Luminous Things Download your Poetry Quotes: click the microphone to your left Get your five-senses sample journal HERE: Click the hand below
Group 2 submits to BB by Sunday 9/20; the class will respond on Sept. 23d. Read CH 7, "Statements of Faith, " 67-74, in The
Triggering Town. Read CH 7, "After-glow," 56-63, in The Palm of your Hand.
Do as many of the exercises as you want in your journals. __________________________________ AFTERGLOW by Raymond Carver The dusk of evening comes on. Earlier a little rain
Week 06 Sept 30
Read CH 8, "Ci Vediamo," 75-98, in The Triggering Town. _____________________________________________________________ GIRL IN THE DOORWAY by Dorianne Laux
Week 07 Oct 7 We've gone full circle; Group 1 is up again
Group 1: submit Read CH 9, “How Poets Make a Living,” 99-109, in The
Triggering Town. (finish the book) Read CH 11, “Family Secrets,” 94-100 and Ch12, “Cut-Ups,
Cross-Outs, and Ransom Notes, 102-110, in The Palm of your Hand. Do as many of the exercises as you want in your journals.
Week. 8: Oct 14
The Palm of your Hand. Read CH 16: "Coils of Hardened Copper," 137-45, and CH 17, "Playing with Meter," 146-53 _______________________________________ The meters with two-syllable feet are Meters with three-syllable feet are
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trochaic tetrameter (4 trochees, 8 syllables) anapestic trimeter (3 anapests, 9 syllables) dactylic hexameter (6 dactyls, 17 syllables; a trochee replaces the last dactyl) Remember,
it's up to you to do as many of the exercises as you want in your journals. Work on hand-out packet (comment in your journals)
Week 09 Oct 21 Group 3 you're up again
Sometimes the mountain is hidden from me in veils of cloud, sometimes I am hidden from the mountain in veils of inattention, apathy, fatigue, when I forget or refuse to go down to the shore or a few yards up the road, on a clear day, to reconfirm that witnessing presence. Week 10 Oct 28
Meetings Week 11 Nov 4
Group one: You're on again. Eric Gregg Guadalupe Nunez-Romanillo David Villa Daniel Tedman Briant Wells Alena Good
Announcing the final project  You are to choose a poem from one of our poetry books, yes even Steve Kowit's book, if you like, and present a study on the maker of that poet. You may want to bring in several other poems by the poet to show us his/her progression. For an A, you MUST present. In a six to ten minute presentation, you will tell us about the poem (s), and then tell us a bit about the poet. Week 12 Nov 11 No Class
Week 13 Nov 18 Group 2 and 3 marathon: 2 & 3 will post on Blackboard.
Groups 2 and 3: we are going to try to go through both groups today.
Week week 14 Nov 25 No class: Thanksgiving
Presentations this week You are to chose one of your favorite poems, from our books. Make copies of this poem for everyone in class. You will then read the poem to the class and reveal a bit of history on the poet you had chosen. You can offer more than one poem from the poet you pick, but the main poem must come from any of our books, including Kowit. ______________________________ Week 16 Dec 9 Presentations continue Bring in your journals! |
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Group 2: Submit to Black Board
Amanda Spanier 
Week 15 Dec 2| lanzbomicci designs |
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